This recipe has the craziest back story of the bunch. During my sophomore year of college, I was making a dessert for Easter at my boyfriend's house. As I was working on this dessert, I called my mom to share my new recipe with her. As I start to describe the recipe, my mom asks, "Is this the recipe that was on the cover of
Cooking Light?" To which I say yes...turns out my mom was making the exact same dessert, at the exact same time. Definitely not a surprise to anyone who knows me and my mom :)
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It looks prettier in a round pie dish that the recipe calls for. |
Ingredients
Crust (if you're in a hurry or just lazy, the pre-made graham cracker crusts work just fine)
36 honey graham crackers, about 9 sheets
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
4 teaspoons water
Cooking Spray
Filling
2/3 cup light cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Topping
6 cups small fresh strawberries, divided (try to get strawberries that are all the same size, or use the really large ones for the sauce)
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350*
- Crust: place crackers in a food processor; process until crumbly. Add 2 tablespoons sugar, butter, and water; pulse just until moist. Place mixture in a 9 inch round removable bottom tart pan coated with cooking spray, pressing into bottom and up sides of pan to 3/4 inch. Bake at 350* for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. cook completely on a wire rack.
- Filling: Combing cream cheese, sugar, and extracts in a medium bowl; stir until smooth. Spread mixture evenly over bottom of tart shell.
- Topping: place 2 cups strawberries in food processor; process until pureed. Combine with a whisk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low; cook 1 minute. Remove glaze from heat and cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
- Combine 4 cups strawberries and lemon juice; toss to coat. Arrange berries, bottoms up, in a circular pattern over filling. Spoon half of glaze evenly over berries (reserve remaining glaze for another use - like Almond Angle Cake and vanilla ice cream).
- Sprinkle sliced almonds around edge. Cover and chill 3 hours.
**For a festive Red, White, and Blue option, toss blueberries or blackberries in lemon juice and sprinkle over the top of the strawberry sauce**